Thermal turbomachines such as gas turbines or jet engines have long been known. In these machines, a fluid is generated from combustion gases, with the aid of fuel combustion, this fluid driving rotors to rotation for the purpose of thereby generating energy or propulsion. The combustion gases in the flow channel usually have very high temperatures, so that lining elements, heat protection panels and/or cooling channels as well as insulating elements are provided between the flow channel and the housing of the turbomachine for the purpose of adjusting a steep temperature gradient from the flow channel to the housing.
Furthermore, the shell radially surrounding the flow channel must also ensure that fluid can possibly not escape from the flow channel, so that, if possible, all the combustion gases are available for driving the rotors. In certain circumstances, however, this is difficult to accomplish, due to the complex structure of the shell, including the housing, heat protection panels, lining elements and components for cooling air channels, since many different components must be connected to each other. As a result, gaps and cavities may easily form, through which both fluid may escape from the flow channel and cooling air may penetrate the flow channel. For this reason, it is important when designing the shell around the flow channel to make sure that sealing surfaces are provided between the individual components, which avoid leaks with regard to the flow channel.
According to the prior art, metallic spring elements are provided for this purpose, which are situated on the sealing surfaces of the different components for the purpose of generating a contact force, so that the adjacent components are pressed against each other on the sealing surface to thereby achieve a sealing effect. However, this results in the problem that high temperatures occur in the thermal turbomachines during operation, so that the metallic spring elements are also heated. Due to the thermal heating, the elastic spring forces may be at least partially reduced by plastic deformation, so that the spring elements lose their spring force, or the spring force is reduced. This results in the function of the spring elements for pressing against the sealing surfaces no longer being guaranteed during operation.